Mavericks even series with 113-92 romp at AT&T Center

Game 1 figured to have been a suitable wake-up call for the Spurs, who were forced to fight back from 10 points down in the final eight minutes to claim their 10th straight victory over the Mavericks. With two games to rest and prepare for the unorthodox switching defense Dallas surprised them with in the opener, surely Wednesday’s Game 2 would mark a return to the customary cohesion they enjoyed en route to the league’s best record.

Well…not exactly. The Spurs actually took an even bigger step back, tying their season high with 24 turnovers as the Mavericks evened the best-of-seven series at 1-1 with a 113-92 conquest at the AT&T Center. It tied for the third most lopsided home route the Spurs have ever suffered in the postseason, and their worst since Dallas crushed them by 22 in their infamous 2006 playoff battle. The result also snapped the Mavericks’ 10-game losing streak to the Spurs.

“We didn’t expect to go 16-0,” said Tim Duncan, who had 11 points and seven rebounds in 30 minutes. “We’ll make adjustments. We’ll play better. It’s all we can do.”

Player of the game

Dirk Nowitzki said after the game that Shawn Marion is one of the strangest players he’s ever played with. Perhaps “unique” might have been a kinder word, but Nowitzki’s point stands: Marion is as unorthodox as they come, from the unfortunate form on his jumper to his ability to guard virtually any player on the court. He put all those skills to good use Wednesday, scoring 20 points on 8-for-10 shooting while helping limit Tony Parker to just 12.

The turning point

The Mavericks took a big uppercut at the end of the first half as the Spurs ripped off 10 straight points to close within five. Their lead was four early in the third when they kicked into high gear, scoring 27 points on the next 16 possessions to move back ahead by 15. Most impressive all, the Mavs did it without a single point from Nowitzki. “That three or three and a half minutes where we extended game, that was probably key to the game,” Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said.

News, notes and observations

* Carlisle’s Gregg Popovich Love Fest continued in the post game press conference, where he followed his declaration earlier in the day that his Spurs counterpart be named Coach of the Century by calling the coaching matchup “a wipe out.”

“I feel like I have boulders on top of me,” Carlisle said. “I have said it before: I think Popovich is the greatest coach in NBA history, and I don’t think it’s close. With all due respect to Phil Jackson, who is a friend, I think what Popovich has done with the longevity in one place, not moving around and that kind of stuff (is amazing). By the time he gets done, he will probably be here longer than (Jerry) Sloan was at Utah, and that’s unthinkable.”

Which all might be true. But the fact remains: Carlisle’s Mavericks, despite ranking among the NBA’s worst defensive teams during the regular season, could easily be heading home with a 2-0 lead thanks in large part to the defensive wrinkles he’s cooked up.

“The 3-point shots were just a killer in those four meetings in the regular season,” said Nowitzki, referring to the 42 3s the Spurs hit while sweeping the season series 4-0. “I thought we competed OK, but just get back slow and boom, 3-ball. Wrong coverage, boom, 3-ball. So I just think we’re doing a better job in transition and locating open shooters.”

* It doesn’t take a basketball scholar to pinpoint the Spurs’ 24 turnovers as the biggest reason for Wednesday’s blowout. Not only did they contribute to the Mavs’ huge 92-64 edge in field-goal attempts, they led directly to 33 points at the other end for Dallas. With nine minutes left in an NBA playoff game, the Spurs had almost as many turnovers (23) as field goals (26).

But strangely enough, the Spurs had been 14-1 in their highest turnover games this season, including a 104-102 victory at Golden State in their only other game with 24 miscues. The trend obviously didn’t continue in Game 2 as the Spurs repeatedly shot themselves in the foot with one mistake after another.

Seven Spurs had at least two turnovers, and Manu Ginobili committed a game-high six to mar an otherwise outstanding performance with 27 points on 12 shots.

“It’s a bad combination to not play good defense at one end and give the ball up at the other end,” Popovich said. “That’s a bad combination at both ends of the floor. That means you get your butt kicked and that’s what happened tonight.”

Said Ginobili, “Not that I don’t expect them to play hard; they are a tough opponent. We knew that before Game 1. But having such a poor performance in the playoffs really bothers me. We have to play much, much better in Dallas to have a chance.”

* Perhaps the most baffling aspect of the Spurs’ performance was Kawhi Leonard’s no-show. Hampered by first-half foul trouble, the third-year small forward had easily his worst performance after perhaps the best two-month stretch of his career with six points and five rebounds in 23 minutes.

He didn’t make his only basket until the fourth quarter, well after the game had been decided. Perhaps most telling of all, he didn’t have a single steal or blocked shot, an unacceptable activity from a player capable of wreaking so much havoc.

Popovich wasn’t concerned, however, and Leonard left early without speaking with reporters.

* Nowitzki’s overall line looks like a huge victory for the Spurs: 16 points on 7-for-19 shooting. But considering Nowitzki missed his first six shots, with at least four contests from Tiago Splitter, it was actually a fairly impressive job from the big German to bounce back — especially considering the slow start dropped him to 4 for 20 in the series.

“I was kind of too hyped there early,” Nowitzki said. “I really did not have a good rhythm. I think the first shot I made…where I pump faked and hit the one-dribble shot, which relaxed me a little bit. It helped me make some shots after.”